The document provides an overview of the history of East Germany (GDR) from its establishment in 1949 to its collapse in 1990. It discusses the formation and role of the Socialist Unity Party (SED) as the ruling party, the leadership of Walter Ulbricht, the 1953 uprising, the economy, emigration to West Germany, the Stasi secret police, society and culture, support for the regime over time, and historiographical approaches to understanding the GDR.